JUST IN: Navy's Newest Ships Finding Work as Testbeds

[rangerrebew]

JUST IN: Navy's Newest Ships Finding Work as Testbeds
7/22/2021
By Yasmin Tadjdeh
 
Facing advanced adversaries such as China, the Navy is looking to utilize some of its newest ships to test high-tech weapon systems, including hypersonic missiles, a top official said July 22.

The Navy is planning to test a Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic boost glide missile and weapon system — developed in partnership with the Army — on the DDG-1000 USS Zumwalt destroyer, said Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces.

“That's a pretty powerful weapon with its capabilities,” he said during a meeting with reporters at the Pentagon.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/7/22/just-in-navy-surface-fleet-testing-high-tech-systems

[rangerrebew]

I'll bet Navy planners had it planned all along that if they made the ships poorly enough, they could be used as test beds as there was a shortage of qualified test beds at the time.  They can make real ships later.